I beat Rise of Legends. The only thing that bugs me is that they gave you a lot more research than you would ever fully use in the campaign. I don't think I ever fully completed one side's entire tree.

Red Orchestra 2 is pretty cool. I haven't tried MP yet, but it's ... well, it's more accessible than ARMA, but still a lot more realistic than most FPSs these days. There are no crosshairs for firing from the hip, no counter to let you know how much ammo you have left ( you can check by holding down the reload key, but even that only gives you an estimate, like "over half full" ). I'm pretty sure ARMA beats it in the ballistics department, but it does have adjustable sights, so that's a bonus. And it has a suppression system ( which, incidentally, Battlefield 3 will also have - not sure if they're similar, though ).

Red Orchestra 2 is pretty cool. I haven't tried MP yet, but it's ... well, it's more accessible than ARMA, but still a lot more realistic than most FPSs these days. There are no crosshairs for firing from the hip, no counter to let you know how much ammo you have left ( you can check by holding down the reload key, but even that only gives you an estimate, like "over half full" ). I'm pretty sure ARMA beats it in the ballistics department, but it does have adjustable sights, so that's a bonus. And it has a suppression system ( which, incidentally, Battlefield 3 will also have - not sure if they're similar, though ).

You know I'd have to look at it but it would probably do just fine on consoles. Hell I figured out how to do Total War Shogun 2 on consoles but no one ever listens to me.

The problem is the complexity of the controls. It's not that you couldn't cram it all into the same package, for instance by using the thumbstick for both crouch and prone, but it would be awkward. I mean, on the keyboard there's a separate key for crouch and prone, there's a melee key ( not an insta-kill knife, thank god ), the mouse wheel for adjusting sights, two separate buttons for firing your weapon ( automatic or single shot with an MG, two different throws for grenades ), there's leaning ( and that alone seems complex enough for controls ), there's a key that ... well, I'm not sure what to call it, but you use it both for changing the barrels of MGs and for switching between iron sights and scopes on rifles. There's a key for taking cover, too. The same key is used to bandage. I don't feel like seeing if I can come up with a way of making it work on consoles, but ... it would be clunky, that's for sure.

All right, just to please you I went through the controls menu. There's a few things I forgot. There's a map and tactical view, and a command system. I don't know if those are actually used, but still. That's another five buttons you need. Unless you're going to start using menus, but ... back to my point about it being doable, but not exactly ... elegant.

Edit: Now, if only my connection wasn't rubbish.

Edit2: A few more things this game does right; a limit to how many people can play snipers ( 1 on the last server I was on, don't know if that's how it usually is, but even so. Everyone hates snipers. ). Teamplay is also important, genuinely so. This is partly due to the nature of the weapons, most of which are bolt-action or semi-automatic with small magazines. And automatic weapons seem pretty inaccurate when firing from the hip or in anything but bursts. I know all games will tell you to fire in bursts, but most games nowadays don't really require that. MW2 and Black Ops are huge offenders in that department. There's absolutely no need in those games to control your fire.

So, yeah. I'm liking the game. It's very old school. Which I think is sort of the point.

The problem is the complexity of the controls. It's not that you couldn't cram it all into the same package, for instance by using the thumbstick for both crouch and prone, but it would be awkward. I mean, on the keyboard there's a separate key for crouch and prone, there's a melee key ( not an insta-kill knife, thank god ), the mouse wheel for adjusting sights, two separate buttons for firing your weapon ( automatic or single shot with an MG, two different throws for grenades ), there's leaning ( and that alone seems complex enough for controls ), there's a key that ... well, I'm not sure what to call it, but you use it both for changing the barrels of MGs and for switching between iron sights and scopes on rifles. There's a key for taking cover, too. The same key is used to bandage. I don't feel like seeing if I can come up with a way of making it work on consoles, but ... it would be clunky, that's for sure.

Thumb stick for crouch and prone: Press for crouch and hold for prone (or a more classic click/cycle setup).

Melee key could easily fit in.

Actually most of it could be done adopting Crysis 2s methodologies. Using the D-pad for a lot of the adjustments. Totally possible. It's doable. Ever since they put C&C 3 on consoles (I beat it on consoles too) I've figured anything has got to be easier. The problem is people want to be A.) PC elitists. B.) Lazy developers.

Yeah, but I didn't know it was his work. One Life Remaining was morbidly hilarious, Hard Justice made me choke on my OJ, and Deus Ex Machina... was okay. It was a good attempt at a Batman/Ironman kind of deal, with a technologically advanced vigilante, but the set up was fucking stupid.